Click Here to View This Message Directly in ParentSquare

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Dear Peninsula School District Staff and Families,

The 2021-2022 school year is off to a great start! Here are some important updates for this week. 

ParentSquare Tip for Families - Setting Instant vs. Digest Notification Preferences

Peninsula School District is transitioning to ParentSquare this school year to streamline school-to-home communications. ParentSquare is used for mass communications, classroom communication, and school services. An important onboarding tip for families is to set your message delivery preferences!

For each individual with a ParentSquare account, users can fine tune their notification settings. For ParentSquare Posts, each user can select Instant or Digest options for email, text, and app notifications. Instant delivery sends all ParentSquare posts in real time, while Digest packages all non-urgent messages in one evening email that is sent at approximately 6 pm each night. 

For new accounts with preferences not yet set, Digest is the default setting for message delivery. Make sure you update your delivery setting if you prefer Instant delivery.

See more about setting message delivery preference on our website.

Superintendent Bahr’s September Message

In case you missed it last week, here is Superintendent Bahr’s September message.

Meals for Children 

Meals are available for no charge for children residing in the district who are 18 and under and are not enrolled or attending a school on-site. Complete this order form no later than Sunday of each week to pre-order meals for the following week. Meals can be picked up from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. Monday Friday at The Academies at Henderson Bay, located at 8402 Skansie Ave, Gig Harbor. 

YMCA Care

Out of concern of rising COVID-19 cases and to reduce exposure, Y-Care does not offer Wednesday morning childcare to children not registered through the YMCA Before and After School Care Program. Please visit the on site child care webpage for information about the program, locations, and registration process. 

Site Safety Plans

Did you know? Every school has a COVID-19 site safety plan posted to their web page. Visit your school’s website or click here to view a list of schools to choose from.

Health and Safety Reminders

Please help us continue with in-person learning by following these health and safety tips:

• Keep your child home if they are sick;
• If your student starts to not feel well at school, have them tell an adult right away;
• Keep a safe distance from others at all times while on the bus and at school;.
• Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth; and
• Clean your hands often. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a school-approved hand sanitizer. Do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
   

COVID-19 Notifications - What Staff and Families Need to Know

PSD is required to notify staff and families when there is a positive case of COVID-19 in our buildings. Because of this, you may receive three different types of notifications throughout the school year:

1. Close Contact Exposure Notice: If a staff member or student has been exposed to COVID-19 because they have been in close contact with a person who tests positive, they will receive a phone call and email message with a letter linked from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.  

2. Not Close Contact Notice: If a staff member or student may have interacted with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, but not enough to be considered a close contact, they will receive an email message with a letter linked from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.  

3. General Notification: We provide a general notification to all staff and families via email and ParentSquare when there has been an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 in one of our schools or buildings. 

Federal health privacy laws prevent us from disclosing information that would lead to possible identification of any staff or students who are monitoring their health at home. 
 

Celebrating our Students, Staff, and Families